


The Healing Effects of a Cuddle

by respoftw



Series: Tumblr Prompts - Hawksilver edition [25]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cuddling, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4033849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Clint, we need you to let us work. Step back.”</p>
<p>Dr Cho and her team were trying to push him away, to release his hold on the dumb kid who had jumped in front of him and harm's way again.  They didn't get it and nobody was listening to him.  He couldn't let go of Pietro, the kid started going into shock as soon as his hand broke contact.  Pietro needed him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Healing Effects of a Cuddle

**Author's Note:**

> Combining two prompts from my [Tumblr](http://pietrolovesclint.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Anonymous said:  
> Are you familiar with fuck or die? Well what about something like that, but instead it's cuddles. Like, Pietro gets hit with a spell or an experimental drug or something and now he's in desperate need of cuddles
> 
> Anonymous said:  
> what about hawksilver with touch-starved Pietro?

“Clint, we need you to let us work. Step back.”

 

Dr Cho and her team were trying to push him away, to release his hold on the dumb kid who had jumped in front of him and harm's way _again_. They didn't get it and nobody was listening to him. He couldn't let go of Pietro, the kid started going into shock as soon as his hand broke contact. Pietro needed him.

 

He squeezes Pietro's arm tighter, trying to reassure him that he's still there but Pietro is incoherent and rambling, his body a furnace as whatever the hell that poison did to him works it's way through his system. He's vaguely aware of Dr Cho talking to someone behind him but is still taken by surprise when Natasha's grip pinches into his nerves, forcing him to release his hold. Steve uses the momentary distraction of nerve pain to pull him away from the gurney and Clint watches, panicked, as a flock of doctors gather around a now ramrod straight and convulsing Pietro.

 

Wanda falls to her knees in horror as they all hear the awful high pitched whine that indicates Pietro's heart has stopped.

 

“Goddamnit! Barton, get back here.”

 

Clint doesn't think he's ever heard Dr Cho curse and normally he'd be teasing her but all he can think about is that horrible noise, what it means and how he can't watch this incredibly stupid but incredibly wonderful kid die for him. Again. Cho swears at him again and yanks him back towards the hospital bed and places his hand on Pietro's bare arm.

 

Beep...Beep...Beep..

 

The entire team let out a sigh of relief as Pietro's heart monitor settled back into reassuring beeps.

 

“What the hell is wrong with him?” Steve asks. Even Tony is too concerned about their resident speedster to tease his partner for his language.

 

Clint tunes them out, too intent on Pietro's shaking form below him. Although his heart is beating again and he's stopped seizing, the kid looks awful. His eyes are only half open but Clint can see that they're glazed over in pain, he can feel waves of heat rolling from Pietro's sweat-soaked body and just wishes there was something more he could do to help.

 

“HOLD UP!” Tony's voice interrupts his thoughts. “You're telling me that Speedy has been hit with some kind of...cuddle pollen and the way to cure him is for one of us to get naked with him and spoon?”

 

_Wait...what?_ Clint had obviously missed something while he was busy looking the kid over.

 

Dr Cho just glares at Tony. “Look, Mr Stark. If Pietro was hit with what I _think_ he was? Our only hope is to give him as much skin on skin contact as possible while I work on the antidote.”

 

“How sure are you, Doc?”

 

“Given his reaction just now and the fact that Clint's touch was what kept him alive long enough to get here? I'm 97.8% certain that I know what we're dealing with.”

Steve nods. “All right then.”

 

Wanda starts to strip off, throwing her red coat to the ground before Dr Cho stops her. “Wanda. No. It shouldn't be you.”

 

“He is my brother. I can help him.”

 

“Look, I've read about this drug. What I'm suggesting should help Pietro but there _are_ side effects. In some cases those side effects included the affected person becoming sexually aroused by the contact.”

 

Wanda's face falls for a moment before she straightens up. “It should be Clint then.”

 

Everyone's eyes turn towards a shocked Clint. “Hold on, Wanda, I - - “

 

“If Pietro could choose for himself, he would choose you. I think you know this.”

 

Clint did know it. It didn't take a genius. He'd noticed the way the kid followed him around constantly, always teasing and laughing. The way he kept jumping in front of bad guys for him. As he looked down at Pietro's pain lined face he knew that he had to do this.

 

Before he could even nod, Natasha was in front of him with a pair of surgical scissors and already starting to cut off his uniform.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Please. You know you were going to say yes. You're crush on Pietro is almost as obvious as his on you. And how else are you going to get undressed without letting go of him?”

 

“One of you could have stood with him while I undressed myself!”

 

Natasha shrugs. “It's more fun this way.”

 

The rest of the team take that as their cue to leave and soon Clint is standing in the middle of the medical bay in nothing but his boxer briefs.

 

“Road Runner? Really, Clint?”

 

“And Pietro has arrows on his. You are both fools.” Clint almost jumped at Wanda's voice. He hadn't realised that she was still there although it was now obvious that she had been divesting Pietro of what was left of his own outfit.

 

Clint doesn't know where to look, not with all that tantalising skin and muscle on display so he looks helplessly at Dr Cho. “So what, I just cuddle him?”

 

“Essentially, yes. Just remember, as much skin to skin contact as possible.”

 

“Wait! You're leaving? What if his heart stops again?!”

 

“We are monitoring him. I'll know if something happens but I should spend my time working on the antidote.”

 

_Right, that makes sense_. He watches Dr Cho leave for her lab and glares at Wanda and Natasha until they leave too. Suddenly, it's just him and Pietro in the room.

 

_Oh well, here goes nothing._

 

Clint carefully settles himself onto the bed next to Pietro, making sure to keep in skin contact with him the entire time, and pulls their bodies together. Pietro makes a needy mewling noise and nuzzles in closer, making Clint wrap his arms tight around him. The lines in his face start to smooth out and that little sign that this is working and that this is all not just some elaborate prank of someone's to get them in this situation causes Clint to relax into the embrace, brushing his fingers gently through Pietro's damp hair.

 

It doesn't take long before the vacant glaze in Pietro's eyes fades and the sharp blue stare he's grown accustomed to returns. As Pietro becomes more aware of his surroundings he jerks back out of Clint's hold only to fold in on himself as the pain starts to rack his body once again.

 

Clint pulls him back into his arms with a huff of exasperation. “You probably don't want to do that again, kid.”

 

“What the hell happened?” Pietro's voice sounds dry and cracked and Clint leans over for a moment to grab a bottle of water. Pietro, obviously having learned his lesson, follows the line of his body so that they don't break contact.

 

As Pietro gratefully chugs down the water, Clint tries his best to explain the drug that was in the dart that Pietro got hit with. “So, in summary, stop jumping in front of projectiles that weren't meant for you. It doesn't end well.” He's aiming to sound harsh and scolding but, really, with a lap full of Pietro, who could blame if he actually ends up sounding more fond than anything else.

 

“I am sorry that you had to do this...the cuddling. Why is it you instead of Wanda?”

 

Clint blushes, knowing that he has to address the elephant in the room. “Because of....that,” he gestures towards Pietro's tented arrow-covered briefs. “Apparently the contact can cause arousal.”

 

Pietro's face flushes red as he drops his gaze to his crotch, evidently only just realising that his erection has been poking Clint in the hip. He starts to stammer out apologies that quickly turn to worry as he catches sight of Clint's own crotch. “You were hit too? Are you OK?! I'm sorry, I wasn't fast enough. I - - “

 

“Kid! Kid..Pietro!” Clint interrupts the panicked Sokovian. “I wasn't hit.”

 

Pietro's relief quickly morphs into realisation. “Oh?”

 

“Yeah....oh.”

 

“So...you won't mind if I come a bit closer?”

 

“No.”

 

“Thank God.” Pietro moans as he clings onto Clint like a limpet. If he had thought they were close before, it's nothing compared to how they are now. Pietro is wrapped completely around Clint, so close that they are practically one. It should be uncomfortable as hell but it feels.....surprisingly right.

 

Dr Cho intrudes on them an hour or two later, the rest of the team filtering in behind her. Clint makes a note to hunt Tony down later and smash the phone that he's currently using to take pictures of their compromising situation. (He'll be too late, the pics will already have been uploaded to the net and gone viral.)

 

Clint pushes them both up into a sitting position, Pietro sitting in his lap as Dr Cho administers the antidote.

 

“Wow. I feel better already!” Pietro exclaims.

 

Clint is glad that the kid isn't in pain anymore. As much as their contact had helped, he knows from the all-too-frequent whimpers that the drug had still been hurting Pietro. However, a part of him is upset that he'll have to stop embracing him now. Which is why he has to try and hide a smile at Dr Cho's next words.

 

“That's wonderful, Pietro. I must caution you though that you'll need to remain as you are for at least another hour. The drug needs time to leave your system fully.”

 

“Of course, Doctor.” Pietro doesn't seem to mind the orders as he pushes Clint back on to the bed and buries his head into the hollow of his shoulder.

 

_I could definitely get used to this_ , Clint thinks as he presses his lips to the top of a warm and content Pietro.

 

*

 

Dr Cho shuts the door on the cuddling pair with a smile and turns to find Natasha waiting for her. “I read up on that drug while you were working. The effects of the antidote are instantaneous.”

 

Helen smiles. “I didn't see the harm in letting them enjoy this a little bit longer.”

 

Natasha laughs quietly, not wanting to disturb the (adorable) pair on the bed. “I knew I liked you.”

 


End file.
